Thursday, 4 March 2010

The architect's shoes

Lo and behold, the FRAME.

The FRAME is a remarkable achievement and is also a tribute to the foundation on which the UNITED NUDE brand was established. The FRAME unhinges the common perception of what a high-heeled shoe should be with the construction of the heel being far more centered on the foot-bed while encasing the foot with straps, forming a wearable work of art.

United Nude has become a cult footwear brand since 2003, when it was founded by Galahad Clark, a seventh generation shoemaker from Somerset, England (his family founded the Clark's empire) and Dutch architect Rem D Koolhaas (not to be mistaken for his uncle, the famous Pritzker Prize winner star architect Rem Koolhaas).And to think it all started because of a woman...

This story begins with a broken heart. Rem's attempt to get the girl back was made by downsizing architecture to its smallest and most vulnerable scale, that of a woman's foot. While most romantic notions are often foolish, what was hatched through the inspiration of romance was the 'Möbius' shoe. The girl was gone, but he knew the shoe had to become real. Now add Galahad to our story. The seventh generation of the Clark's shoe-making dynasty. When Rem and Galahad first met, Galahad saw the Möbius shoe design, and he was instantly convinced that a new brand had to be formed. Joined together, Rem and Galahad created United Nude. The name derived from the fact that products evolve from international teams in an open way with direct recognition. United Nude launched in 2003 with the 'Möbius' shoe. Since then, United Nude has established itself as an iconic brand at the intersection between design and fashion.United Nude products are about clear concepts, elegance and innovation.

My personal favourite though, is the Lo Res in magenta, as seen above. Reminds me of the models we used to work on 3dStudioMax back in architecture school, just before they went into rendering.